The football language glossary is a page with a huge selection of football words, phrases and vocabulary that are organised in alphabetical order – it is like a football dictionary. You can find all kinds of football cliches, expressions and technical terms, as well as a variety of categories about many football-related subjects: transfers, football nicknames, match-day language, managers and much more.
A
- Acres of space
- Across the face of goal
- Acute angle
- Add some steel
- Adrift
- (to) Advance
- (a great) Advert for the game
- AFCON
- After extra time (AET)
- Against the run of play
- (on) Aggregate
- Agree a deal
- All (e.g. two all)
- (to be) All over a team
- (to be) All over the place
- All to play for
- Angled drive
- Apertura
- Apiece
- (to) Appoint a new manager
- As it stands
- Assistant referee
- Assist
- (to be) At it
- Atlantic League
- (to be) At sixes and sevens
- (to be) At stake
- (to/an) Attack
- Attacker
- Attacking flair
- Attendance
- At the end of the day
- (to) Avoid the drop
- Award a penalty
- Away goals
- (to be) axed
- Azzurri
B
- B-team
- Back foot
- Back four
- Backs to the wall
- Back pass
- Back to back (victories)
- Back with a bang
- A Bad day at the office
- Bafana Bafana
- Ball
- Ball hog
- Ball to hand
- Ballon d’Or
- Balloon over (the bar)
- Ball watching
- Ban
- Basque derby
- Battling for survival
- BBC
- (to) Beat a player
- (the) Beautiful game
- (to) Be in the bag
- Behind closed doors
- (to be) Below par
- Between the sticks
- (to) Be up for it
- (to) Be drawn against
- (to) Be sidelined
- ‘Becks‘
- Bench
- Beyond the pale
- Bicycle kick
- Bid
- Big ask
- Blast
- Blatant penalty
- Blaze over the bar
- Blinder
- (to) Blow away
- (to) Blow a chance
- (to) Blow a lead
- (to) Blow wide open
- Blunder
- Blushes are spared
- Bogey team
- (to) Bomb forward/on
- (to) Book a place in
- (to be) Booked
- (a) Booking
- (to get the) Boot
- (to) Boss the game
- (to) Bottle
- (to) Bounce back
- Bouncebackability
- (to) Bow out
- Boxing Day fixtures
- Box-to-box midfielder
- (a) Brace
- Bragging rights
- (to) Break a hoodoo
- (to) Break the bank
- (to) Break the deadlock
- (to) Break the offside trap
- Breakaway goal
- (to) Break down a defence
- (to be on the) Brink
- (to be) Brought down to Earth
- (to) Brush aside
- Buffet ball
- (to be) Bullish
- (a) Bullet header
- (to) Bully an opponent
- Bundesliga
- (to) Bundle
- (to) Bundle home
- (to) Bury (the ball)
- (the) Business end of the season
- Buy a goal (Can’t buy a goal)
- By the letter of the law
- By the skin of their teeth
- Byline
C
- (to be) Cagey
- (to) Call off
- Call up
- Cameo
- (to) Cancel out
- Can’t buy a goal
- Can’t win the title in August but you can certainly lose it
- Cap
- Capitalise on an error
- Caretaker manager
- Carve open
- (to be) Caught napping
- (to) Cause an upset
- (to/a) Caution
- (to/a) Centre
- Centre back
- Centre half
- Centre stage
- Chalk off
- Challenge
- The Champions’ Curse
- The Champions League
- The Championship
- Channels
- Charity Shield
- (to) Chase shadows
- Chickens come home to roost
- (to) Chip
- (to) Choke
- Chop
- Clanger
- (to) Clatter into
- Clausura
- (to) Claw (back/out)
- Clean and Dirty
- (a) Clean sheet
- (to be) Clean through (on goal)
- (to) Click
- (to) Clinch
- Clinical finishing
- (to) Clip
- (to) Close in on
- (to) Close range
- (to) Close the gap at the top
- Club World Cup
- (to) Coast past
- Collector’s item
- (to) Combine with
- (to) Come a cropper
- (a) Comeback
- (to) Come back from the dead
- Come off the bench
- (to) Come from behind
- (to) Come up short
- Community Shield
- (to) Complete a move
- Composed finish
- Comprehensive defeat
- Comprehensive victory
- (to) Concede (a goal)
- (to) Concede the title
- Confederation
- Confederations Cup
- CONCACAF
- CONMEBOL
- Consolation goal
- Contenders
- Controversial penalties
- (to) Convert
- Copa America
- Copa Libertadores
- Corker
- Corner
- Counter attack
- (to) Cough Up
- (a) Cracker
- (to) Crash out of
- (a) Crisp pass
- (to/a) Cross
- Crowd
- Crowned champions
- (to) Cruise to victory
- Crumble
- Crunch game
- Cruyff turn
- Crush
- (to) Crush an opponent/team
- (a) Cup draw
- (a) Cup run
- (to be) Cup tied
- Cup upset
- Curler
- (the) Curtain raiser
- (to) Cushion the ball
- Cut back
- Cut inside
D
- Daisy Cutter
- Dark arts (Shithousery)
- Dark horses
- David and Goliath
- Days are numbered
- Dead and buried
- Dead ball
- Deadline-day signing
- Deadlock
- Dead Man Walking
- Dead rubber
- Debut
- (a) Defeat
- (to) Defeat
- Defence
- Defender
- (to) Defend too deep
- Deflected
- (a) Deflection
- Deft touch
- Delicately poised
- Delivery
- (to be) Denied
- (to) Dent title hopes
- (a) Derby
- (to) Dethrone
- (to) Dig deep
- Didn’t turn up
- (to) Dink
- (a) Disallowed goal
- Dispatch
- Disputed call
- Dissent
- Dive
- Division
- Dodgy refereeing
- (To be) Doubtful for
- (the) Double
- (to) Double the advantage
- (to) Do the double over
- Down to ten
- (to go) Down to the wire
- (to) Drag a shot wide
- (a) Draw (e.g. 1-1)
- (to) Draw a blank
- (to) Draw a foul
- (to) Draw a game
- (a Cup) Draw
- (to be) Drawn against
- Draw lots
- Draw written all over it
- Dressing room
- (to lose the) Dressing room
- (to) Dribble
- Drop a clanger
- (the) Drop zone
- (Goal) Drought
- (a) Drubbing
- (the) Dugout
- (to) Dump out of
- Dying breed